Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 22:54:17 -0600 (CST)
From: Kevyn Jacobs
Subject: NEWS-TELEGRAPH: PHELPS FOUND GUILTY OF CONTEMPT
FROM THE LESBIAN & GAY NEWS-TELEGRAPH
OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 10, 1994
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
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PHELPS FOUND GUILTY OF CONTEMPT
TOPEKA - The Reverend Fred Phelps Sr. - the notorious Gay-bashing
preacher who pickets AIDS-related funerals - and his daughter,
Margie Phelps, were found guilty of contempt by Shawnee County
District Judge Michael Barbara October 17.
Fred Phelps Sr. was fined $1000 and ordered to pay half the costs
of the five-day contempt hearing. His daughter, Margie Phelps,
was fined $500, ordered to pay half the costs of the contempt
hearing and ordered to withdraw as the attorney of record in a
civil lawsuit between Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church and
St.David's Episcopal Church.
The contempt charges against the elder Phelps were a result of
two telefax messages he allegedly sent to officials, news
organizations and others. In one, he compared Judge Barbara to a
snake, and in the other, he had the names of Barbara and Kansas
Attorney General Robert Stephan on headstones.
The complaint against Margie Phelps arose from her presentation
in court of a transcript of one of Reverend Phelps' sermons which
referred to Barbara. According to Barbara, the transcript
"contains baseless, scurrilous and offensive personal charges
against the court and the judge in particular. [It] impugns the
integrity of the judge amounting to disrespect for the judicial
dignity of the court and the judicial system in general."
Barbara was appointed to the case between Westboro and St.David's
after several other judges in Shawnee County excused themselves.
The Phelps' have repeatedly attempted to get Barbara to excuse
himself.
Barbara said he would have been justified in sentencing Phelps
Sr. to jail, but felt, "The role of martyrdom in this case will
provide [Fred Phelps Sr.] another forum to espouse his disdain
for the judicial system and this court."